China-CEEC Ties: A base in China for SMEs from Central and Eastern Europe

World
Europe

02:55

China hopes to have your next business solution. A new industrial zone in Eastern China is designed to give Central and Eastern European companies a fast track to find Chinese partners. CGTN reporter Ning Hong has more from Cangzhou.

New buildings, new factories. This Industrial Cooperation Zone is now packed with small and medium-sized companies. Wang Fuyi is a CEO now building a caravan production line here. He's now dealing with companies from Romania.

WANG FUYI, CEO SANCHUANG ALLIANCE (BEIJING) TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD "It is a very good platform for us to build cooperation with foreign companies, especially those in Europe."

The industrial zone was established merely a year ago, as part of China's promise to boost economic exchanges with 16 countries from central and eastern Europe. And the benefits are mutual.

HUO YUZHEN, SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE CEEC, CHINESE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS "Companies -- especially SMEs -- in these countries have strong interest in working with Chinese companies, so we are trying to satisfy the needs of both sides."

GRIGOR POROZHANOV AMBASSADOR OF BULGARIA TO CHINA "We are undertaking new initiatives in order to present more actively this cooperation, basically to present the high quality products from the 16 countries from the Central and Eastern Europe to Chinese consumers, and give more opportunities to our people to know high quality commodities from China as well."

Such cooperation has historic roots. In the 1950s, a group of engineers from Czechoslovakia came here to help with agricultural production. A museum was later built to commemorate their deeds, inside the equipment they brought is well kept.

NING HONG HUANG HUA, HEBEI PROVINCE "The traditional friendship between China and Central and Eastern European countries is still remembered by people here, and on that note, the cooperation between companies from both sides is entering a new stage."

For 500 years, Karol Sebo's family has been brewing wine in his native Slovakia. Now, China gets a taste of this centuries-old sweetness.

KAROL SEBO, SLOVAK WINEMAKER CANGZHOU, HEBEI PROVINCE "The good thing about China's market is it is growing very fast. The increase of wine consumption is significant from year to year, so this is a big advantage of the Chinese market."

Karol speaks fluent Chinese, and met a Chinese friend in college in Slovakia. Now they are business partners, and making this Slovak Business Center a new base for their career. This platform has helped pass down long-standing friendly ties, much the same way other European countries are doing in China.

Ning Hong, CGTN, Cangzhou.